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Chocolate "The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food" - Montezuma – Aztec Emperor (1480-1520) -


THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE
Yes, it's true, Chocolate which is high in cocoa solids (70% or more) is now recognised as having many qualities that are beneficial to health,

Chocolate contains essential trace elements and nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium, and vitamins A. B1, C, D, and E.

Cocoa is also the highest natural source for Magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is linked with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems and pre-menstrual tension (PMT or PMS).

There are benefits in Chocolate for both men and women:

the high Magnesium content of Chocolate is beneficial for the Cardiovascular System and hypertension -

the fat in high quality plain chocolate (although technically a 'saturated fat') can be considered cholesterol free as it does not fur up the arteries or contribute to high cholesterol levels.

It's a pre-menstrual drop in progesterone levels which is responsible for the violent mood swings familiar to so many women (and their families), adding magnesium to a sufferers diet has been proved to increase pre-menstrual progesterone levels, thus alleviating the problem.

WHAT IS THE HEALTHIEST CHOCOLATE?
It's a fact that plain dark chocolate products containing a minimum 70% or more cocoa solids are the healthiest and the best way to satisfy a craving for chocolate, without consuming too much sugar and saturated fat or HVO. If your a Milk or White Chocolate lover, choose products with a minimum of 30% chocolate solids (Milk Chocolate) or 30% chocolate butter (white chocolate).

Chocolate lovers go wrong by choosing cheap (& not so cheap) "brand name" chocolate or chocolates, low in chocolate solids (ave is less than 20% chocolate solids, but some can contain less than 7%), all are high in sugar content, saturated fats and other nasties such as HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) and consequently can be disastrous for both teeth and health.

Incidentally, chocolates, both the commercial variety and (sadly) many hand made chocolates varieties, are some of the worst culprits with centres consisting almost exclusively of flavoured Fondant and Praline, fondant is virtually 100% sugar and pralines can be just as bad.

http://www.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk/chocolate_health_benefits.ht
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Enjoy your Easter bunnies

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  • noears
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The only problem with chocolate is the presence of oxalic acid which can deplete calcium. It is the same problem with sesame seeds which are reputed to be a wonderful source of calcium.

When my ex, Karen and I were running our natural foods store in New Orleans back in 1975, there was this cat from Albion Laboratories in Utah, Clyde St. Clair, who lectured on hair analysis when it was new, and also discoursed on amino acid chelates of minerals, an example of which was iron as found in a leaf of spinach.

The best research said that if you ate a tin can like goats are alleged to be able to do, you would get less iron content from the mostly steel can measured in ounces than you would from a few micrograms (millionths of a gram) of iron as it is found in the spinach leaf.

Clyde St. Clair was lecturing to the New Orleans natural foods crowd, intending to sell us Albion's newest line of chelated minerals. Our shop was going bankrupt. We had talked to the the SBA (Small Business Administration) about resurrecting the business (happy easter) and they told us forget it. Uncle Bill had to tidy up his own mess and even if it was Aunt Eva's business, in Louisiana they still have the Napoleonic code which holds a husband responsible for his wife's debts.

So we knew we weren't going to do much business with Clyde St. Clair. I asked him if a leaf of spinach was more nutritious to you than a bucket of nails, why wasn't it also as good as his pills?

He admitted that there was no difference - "but don't tell anyone." I concluded that Clyde was a good chap, and I kept my mouth shut and we kept eating our vegetables.

Sesame seeds have the same problem as chocolate being a great source of Calcium in the case of the sesame seed, but having oxalates in the hulls, the outer part of the seed.

Oxalic acid is what is in the leaf of the rhubarb plant which is said to be poisonous. There has, however, never been a case of rhubarb poisoning, so make what you will of that. My guess is that the leaves don't taste good, like an unripe persimmon or something like that.

Some macrobiotic people argue that oxalates have their place and that oxalic acid may even be there to let you get all that calcium and to function as a preventor of calcium deposits. It's a trade off and according to one of my favorite friends in medical research - in life forms - form follows function.

His theory (which is shared by many others like Teilhard de Chardin for one) is that all evolution originates in a will to live and that we tap into the universe and we synthesize, diversify and grope.

Why not grope for that chocolate Bunny of central american origin. Surely every food was put on earth for us to be fruitful and multiply. If there is a debate about animal husbandry and the vision of Joseph (that said it was o.k. to start slaughtering and sacrificing animals) there is no question that chocolate is good stuff.

Rumor has it that when St. John the Baptist wandered about the desert that he favored St. John's Bread from the flour made from the pods of the Honey Locust tree that we know as Carob. I've been looking for a carob easter bunny, but I've been frustrated.

I once was addicted to carob vita soy in combination with my friend Phil's Cool Brew hazelnut coffee and chickory from New Orleans. The Louisiana Health Food Center did go bankrupt. Vita soy stopped making Carob flavor because there is a shortage of Carob flour and the honey locusts have been over harvested.

There are a bunch of those trees growing next to the Santa Barbara Mission and the pods just fall on the ground and rot.

I guess chocolate will suffice for now but there a reason for me to grab a backpack and take the Coastal Starlight down the coast.

As Farfel the Dachshund used to sing: N-E-S-T-L-E-S Nestle's makes the very best. . . Chocolate!

What? A chunk o' chocolate?
Hot Hershey's? That's chocolatey???

Go easy on those oxalates. Forget what Michio says (or did before he dropped dead on the Tonight Show), and buy the tahini made from the seeds that have had the hulls removed.

Where are the carob bunnies of yester-year?
"Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?" Where are the snows of yester-year? I do believe they are here!

I like all the Chocolate Bunnies here, and I figured Yoko broke the ice for an image of another hare of the bunny that bit me too. I'm still searching for a carob bunny at 1 half off today. It is a January Sale in April for Chocolate and other kinds of bunnies!

NB

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  • durer
Last edited by yogionefromobie
This is the season to enjoy your chocolate, and there are some health benefits as well.

Why a little, in moderation, may be beneficial

Chocolate has gotten a lot of media coverage in recent years because it's believed that it may help protect your cardiovascular system. The reasoning being that the cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids.

Flavonoids help protect plants from environmental toxins and help repair damage. They can be found in a variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables. When we eat foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this "antioxidant" power.

Antioxidants are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, like cigarette smoke. If your body does not have enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become damaged by free radicals. For example, an increase in oxidation can cause low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as "bad" cholesterol, to form plaque on the artery walls.

Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. In addition to having antioxidant qualities, research shows that flavanols have other potential influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot.

From the Cleveland Clinic

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Last edited by Inda
7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
  • Very Nutritious. ...
  • Powerful Source of Antioxidants. ...
  • May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure. ...
  • Raises HDL and Protects LDL From Oxidation. ...
  • May Reduce Heart Disease Risk. ...
  • May Protect Your Skin From the Sun. ...
  • Could Improve Brain Function.

Thank you yoko for bringing back this post.

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